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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: net · suit · can · mate · cold · bat · bound · pass

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. net — for catching
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. can — a tin
  24. cold — an illness

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