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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — in cards
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — in sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. net — after costs
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — the fruit

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