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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. scale — in music
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pop — to visit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — not warm
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — size or range
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pop — music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pop — soda

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