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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — a series
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pass — to succeed

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