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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of a king
  3. staff — employees
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. game — a match
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — wild animals

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