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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.

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: pop · leaves · pass · craft · rash · court · fan · mine

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — of law
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pop — soda
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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