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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — for money
  3. swing — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pop — soda
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kid — child
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pop — music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cold — an illness
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kid — to tease
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — a permit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cold — not warm

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