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

Word bank: mug · pass · pound · board · bat · firm · court · toast

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. toast — bread
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. court — of law
  10. firm — steady
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pound — a weight
  13. firm — a company
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — of a king
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — decided
  24. pound — for dogs

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