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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a great time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. track — a path
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — a song
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — a division
  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