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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — the underground
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — to get on
  12. tube — a container
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of law
  19. land — a country
  20. court — of a king
  21. land — ground
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. board — a flat piece

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