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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pop — soda
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the fish
  10. current — happening now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — a permit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. current — of water
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a friend

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