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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — shares
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. swing — music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — in golf
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stock — goods
  24. pass — a permit

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