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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — a face
  3. court — for sport
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. key — in music
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — a cup
  12. key — for a lock
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kid — child
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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