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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. club — for golf
  10. staff — a stick
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. club — a group
  24. stock — shares

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