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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. foot — a measure
  7. current — happening now
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. current — of water
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — to fit
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. suit — in cards

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