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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — for sport
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for golf
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. track — to keep track

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