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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — child
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — to tease
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. toast — bread

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