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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rock — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hand — help
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — a part of something

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