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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pop — soda
  24. mark — a grade

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