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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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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: lean · board · spring · bat · mug · mate · pass · court

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. court — of law
  3. mate — to breed
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mug — a face

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