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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. land — a country
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — a leader

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