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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — a position
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — to paddle
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — the earth
  24. row — a line

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