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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. club — for golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. swing — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. club — a group
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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