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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to click
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — a friend
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a partner
  15. game — a match
  16. court — of a king
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mate — to breed
  20. game — wild animals
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. march — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. court — for sport

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