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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. last — finally
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitch — completely
  6. band — a ring
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wind — moving air
  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