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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. last — to go on
  12. roll — a list
  13. last — final
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. toast — bread
  24. swing — in golf

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