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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. suit — to fit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. club — a group
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — clothes
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — soda
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spell — magic

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