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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · chair · stick · present · pass · kick

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. present — a gift
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — there

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