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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: mug · mate · pass · ball · stand · pop · row · shower

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pop — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — soda
  13. mate — a friend
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mug — to rob

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