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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
468
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 · staff · foot · scale · bat · lean · chip · mate

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — employees
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. scale — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pass — to spend time

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