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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — in sport
  9. court — of law
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. season — of the year
  15. stock — goods
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. court — of a king
  20. fall — the season
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — shares
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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