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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fine — all right
  3. band — a music group
  4. season — in sport
  5. band — a ring
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — for digging
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a rubber band

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