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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. season — of the year
  6. shower — rain
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. shower — to wash
  9. capital — money
  10. staff — employees
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — a stick
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. capital — a city
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pass — a permit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. dip — to sink
  21. staff — employees
  22. game — a match
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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