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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. rule — government
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — to visit
  18. club — a group
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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