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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. firm — steady
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. firm — a company
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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