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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rest — a break
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. toast — bread
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — a permit
  23. swing — music
  24. bank — for money

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