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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — a permit
  4. shower — rain
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — a division
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rush — hurry

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