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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. march — the month
  3. court — of a king
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fine — all right
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the sport

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