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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
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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: wake · game · cold · bay · bound · racket · sharp · pass

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cold — not warm
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — wild animals
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  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