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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — a permit
  24. season — of the year

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