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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 124 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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. toast — bread
  3. chair — a leader
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — of a king
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of law
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. court — for sport
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. toast — the most admired

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