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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — a tin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kid — child
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — soda
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pop — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a horse colour

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