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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pop — soda
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pop — to visit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. march — music

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