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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kid — child
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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