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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cold — not warm
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. game — a match
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pass — a permit
  16. court — of law
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — for sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. pass — to succeed

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