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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: pass · bark · cabinet · plane · net · mark · mate · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a friend
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a partner

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