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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. capital — a city
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. swing — in golf
  16. capital — money
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — in biology

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