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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — decided
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — for digging
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mug — a cup
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — for golf
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mug — a face
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — a group

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