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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — help
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. drill — army training
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pop — to visit

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