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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pop — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. roll — a list
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — to visit

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