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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bark — to shout
  13. face — part of the head
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — to confront
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a signal

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