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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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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: pass · cap · rush · kid · mate · press · key · pound

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kid — child
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. press — to push
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — a publisher
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — newspapers

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