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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. march — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. march — the month
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — to get on
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. board — a committee
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. board — a flat piece

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