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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — to protest
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. staff — a stick
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. object — an aim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. charge — a price
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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