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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spring — a coil
  19. can — a tin
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stand — on your feet

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