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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pop — soda
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — in music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bark — of a tree

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