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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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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 · pass · bore · pop · present · club · hand · hide

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. present — there
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. club — for golf
  10. present — a gift
  11. club — for dancing
  12. present — the time now
  13. pop — music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pop — to visit

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