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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. present — the time now
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ground — a position
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. present — a gift
  10. board — a committee
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — to get on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. present — there

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