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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bark — to shout
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. roll — a list
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. date — the fruit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lean — thin
  24. bowl — a dish

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