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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · bear · firm · game · leaves · pass · bark · branch

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — steady
  11. game — a match
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bear — to put up with

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