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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. band — a music group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stock — shares
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. band — a ring

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