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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · pass · pop · spell · key · bass · pit · bear

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — low music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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