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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — a group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. snap — to click
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a music group

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