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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. firm — decided
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. last — finally
  15. plane — a tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. pit — in a race
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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