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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — a permit
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. club — for dancing
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. band — a music group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — farmland

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