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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — in sport
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — a hat
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. season — of the year
  17. field — for sport
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. field — a subject
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. field — farmland
  24. straw — dry grass

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