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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — in control
  3. pop — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kid — child
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a document
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. file — a line of people
  23. kid — to tease
  24. racket — for tennis

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