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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — army training
  24. suit — to fit

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