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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a match
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. board — to get on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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