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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.

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

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. field — farmland
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. net — after costs
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. field — a subject

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