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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: pass · bat · spell · track · court · capital · wake · pound

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. court — for sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. court — of law
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — a city
  23. track — a song
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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