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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — a permit

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