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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. scale — size or range
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chair — a leader
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. scale — in music

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