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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a partner
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. club — a group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pass — to spend time

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