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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — an amount

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