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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ground — a position
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bank — for money
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — a permit
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com