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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — for sport
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — a subject
  12. mate — to breed
  13. field — farmland
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — of ice
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ground — crushed

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