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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. 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. mate — a friend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — to breed
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. 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