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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. net — for catching
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — shares
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. net — in 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