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

Word bank: staff · pass · bat · ruler · pound · fall

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pass — a permit
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to spend time

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