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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bark — to shout
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — the cause
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. root — of a word
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. calf — of the leg

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