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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of law

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