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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pass — a permit
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for golf
  14. court — for sport
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. patient — a sick person

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