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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bank — for money
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — a position
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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