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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — in sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — a safe
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. season — of the year
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — in sport
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. net — for catching

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