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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bound — tied together

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