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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — a position
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — to tease
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kid — child
  23. foot — a measure
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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