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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. season — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — a division
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — to tease
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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