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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: cold · pass · ground · club · bay · jam · plane · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. club — for golf
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cold — an illness
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. club — for dancing

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