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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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Word bank
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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: fine · cold · mug · hand · pass · club · firm · season

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mug — a cup
  4. firm — decided
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cold — an illness
  8. fine — high quality
  9. club — for dancing
  10. season — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — for golf
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. firm — a company
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — a penalty

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