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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spring — of water
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. last — final
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — a signal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. pop — soda
  12. drill — the tool
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cue — a hint
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — to go on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spring — the season
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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