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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — a position
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fall — the season
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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