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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — ground
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. clip — to cut
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — a trail
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a dance
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. clip — for paper

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