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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — a division
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bark — to shout
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chair — a leader
  19. content — happy
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — in sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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