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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
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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: pass · bark · jam · file · foot · bear · hand · stand

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pass — a permit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — to bear
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. file — a document
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stand — on your feet

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