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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: court · nail · hide · present · roll · bowl · pass · pop

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pop — soda
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a list
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. court — for sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. court — of law
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. hide — animal skin

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