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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — thin
  15. staff — employees
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. field — for sport
  24. bat — the animal

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