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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chest — a box
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — the amount
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. capital — a city
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bark — to shout

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