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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ball — a dance
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. court — for sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — of the year
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. court — of a king
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — soda
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a round shape

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