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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cue — for pool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rest — a break

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