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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. firm — steady
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. firm — a company
  14. charge — in control
  15. land — to come down
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — a country
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. net — after costs
  23. firm — decided
  24. pass — to spend time

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