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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. season — in 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