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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — of a king
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. court — of law
  18. file — a document
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — for sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. scale — size or range
  24. net — in sport

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