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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rule — a law
  11. court — of law
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — government
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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