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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 124 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rule — government
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — a contest
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fork — in a road

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