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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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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pop — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kid — to tease
  14. suit — to fit
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a partner
  20. row — a line
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. swing — music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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