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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 120 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: bat · race · pop · deal · ball · pass · mug · saw

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. race — a contest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mug — to rob
  16. race — humankind
  17. pass — a permit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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