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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a great time
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — of the year
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — to shout

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