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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — a match
  6. cold — an illness
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. club — for golf
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — a group
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — not warm

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