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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. capital — money
  10. bat — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ground — the earth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — a position
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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