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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: pass · bay · pop · club · patient · arm · bear · chair

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. club — for golf
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. club — for dancing
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  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