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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 · rest · jam · pass · date · hide · court · capital

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. capital — a city
  11. kid — child
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — for sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — a break

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