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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. date — the fruit
  6. present — there
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — shares
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. sharp — clever
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. game — a kind of play

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