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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. game — a match
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — a group
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pop — soda
  23. net — in sport
  24. game — wild animals

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