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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — letters
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. content — happy
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cell — in biology

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