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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — for golf
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. present — there
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. present — the time now
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — a gift
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pass — to succeed

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