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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 · court · content · lash · spell · bark · rock · chair

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. court — of law
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — of a king
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. court — for sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spell — letters
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pass — to spend time

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