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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — a permit

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