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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. swing — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bear — the animal

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