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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: present · cabinet · mug · roll · bark · patient · pass · pop

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. roll — a list
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — to shout
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a cake
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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