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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: mug · pass · game · bark · stick · season · cold · pitcher

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — a match
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — wild animals

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