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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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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: ball · pass · rock · bore · fall · sharp · mark · mine

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — exactly

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