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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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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 · race · stick · bark · pound · pitcher · fan · ruler

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. race — a contest
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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