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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. present — there
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. present — a gift
  5. last — finally
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. last — final
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — the time now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — to go on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mug — to rob

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