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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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Word bank
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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. land — ground
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — a country
  24. patient — a sick person

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