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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. net — after costs
  7. scale — size or range
  8. capital — money
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — in sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. game — a match
  13. wake — a trail
  14. net — for catching
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. game — wild animals
  24. capital — a big letter

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