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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pass — a permit
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — for sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. field — a subject
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. club — a group
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — a friend

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