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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. season — of the year
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — help
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — in sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. racket — for tennis

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