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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: suit · row · swing · jam · cold · game · mate · pass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cold — an illness
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. row — a line
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cold — not warm
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. swing — music
  23. game — a match
  24. swing — to play on

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