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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — in music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — of the year
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — boats
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — to add flavour

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