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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. game — a match
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bark — to shout
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rash — a series
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — to succeed

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