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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 124 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. court — of a king
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — for sport
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — electric
  17. field — a subject
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitch — completely

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