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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. suit — to fit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. date — the fruit

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