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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a dance
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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