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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 120 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: ball · saw · stick · dip · bark · pass · chair · bear

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — a leader

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