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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — of water
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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