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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. pop — music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — soda
  15. spell — a short time
  16. season — in sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — on your feet

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