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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · stick · bat · saw · pass · ground · mouse · board

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — crushed
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — a friend
  22. board — to get on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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