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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. toast — bread
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — temperature
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — all right

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