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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bound — certain
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — a subject
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. wake — a trail
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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