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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — low music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the fish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — a permit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — a stick
  24. safe — out of danger

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