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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fall — the season
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. court — of law
  14. swing — music
  15. toast — bread
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — in golf
  20. court — for sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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