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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pop — soda
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tube — a container
  14. mate — to breed
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. pop — music
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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