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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — happening now
  15. bark — to shout
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — electric
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — to spend time

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