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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: court · kid · mate · pass · bat · suit · wake · bowl

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kid — child
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. suit — clothes
  15. court — of a king
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. court — for sport
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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