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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for dancing
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. club — a group
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for golf
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — a series
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pass — to spend time

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