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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — soda
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — of water
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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