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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — to come down
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. land — ground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — steady
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fine — all right
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. firm — a company

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