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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stand — to bear
  5. roll — a cake
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. club — a group
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. roll — a list
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pop — to visit

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