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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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