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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. court — for sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — happening now
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — help
  18. current — of water
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of law
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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