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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mate — a partner
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pop — music
  5. club — a group
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — shares
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. band — a ring
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stock — goods
  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