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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. game — a match
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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