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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. court — of law
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. branch — a division
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — in golf
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. swing — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a face

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