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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — to protest
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. object — a thing
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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