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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — a match
  7. suit — in cards
  8. field — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — farmland
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — decided
  18. tear — from crying
  19. field — a subject
  20. tear — from crying
  21. game — wild animals
  22. club — a group
  23. tear — to rip
  24. firm — steady

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