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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ground — a position
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mug — a face
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mug — to rob
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. ground — crushed
  24. patient — a sick person

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