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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.

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: stand · ball · cabinet · clip · mate · pass · court · date

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — for sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. clip — a video
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pass — a permit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. court — of law
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. court — of a king

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