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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. hand — help
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pop — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hand — in cards

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