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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. net — in sport
  7. firm — a company
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. firm — steady
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — after costs
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. firm — decided
  20. bark — to shout
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. net — for catching
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — a garden tool

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