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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hand — help
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to spend time

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