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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — a series
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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