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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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 succeed
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — clothes
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — to fit
  20. land — ground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pass — to spend time
  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