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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pop — to visit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. board — a committee
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bat — for baseball

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