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

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. roll — a list
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — the earth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ground — crushed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — in a race
  24. row — a quarrel

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