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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of law
  11. field — for sport
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — letters
  15. court — for sport
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. field — a subject
  19. lean — thin
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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