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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 124 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: pass · bay · pitch · chair · bear · ground · spring · mate

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pitch — completely

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