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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rest — a break
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pop — music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fine — all right
  19. pop — soda
  20. season — in sport
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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