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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: date · bound · kid · mouse · dip · pop · pass · suit

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — obliged
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kid — to tease
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — a permit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — soda
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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