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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — a skill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — of ice
  9. key — the most important part
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. key — in music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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