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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bat — for baseball

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