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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spell — a short time
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spell — letters
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bank — for money
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — of a river
  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