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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: mine · bowl · rule · trunk · deal · pop · bark · pass

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — government
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — for digging
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — an agreement

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