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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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. toast — bread
  4. pass — a permit
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pop — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — to visit
  19. track — a song
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wind — moving air

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