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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. last — finally
  9. toast — bread
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kid — to tease
  20. court — for sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — a weight
  24. last — final

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