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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — in sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a lid
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — for catching
  14. season — of the year
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — a country
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — in sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. staff — a stick
  24. land — ground

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