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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — in sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — army training
  20. net — after costs
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. snap — to click

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