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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · wake · pass · fine · mate · racket

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — a partner
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral

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