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

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pit — in a race
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — of the year
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — a hole
  22. current — of water
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bark — of a tree

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