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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — a gift
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — there
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — for sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — of a king
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. court — of law
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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