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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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