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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: pop · saw · mate · mine · jam · pass · rule · rock

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pop — soda
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pop — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mate — a partner
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — government
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rule — a law
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — music

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