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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — the season
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — a match
  9. club — a group
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — for golf
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. object — to protest
  21. stock — goods
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. object — a thing

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