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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — child
  6. fine — all right
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — electric
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — a friend
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mate — a partner
  19. current — of water
  20. kick — in football
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — high quality

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