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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — soda
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. pop — music
  17. hand — help
  18. club — a group
  19. bat — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — for baseball

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