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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pop — music
  3. court — of law
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. shower — rain
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. shower — to wash
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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