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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — a break
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. court — of law
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — to bend
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a music group
  23. court — of a king
  24. band — a rubber band

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