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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kid — child
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — electric
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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