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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — decided
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. firm — steady
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — in sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. club — a group
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. firm — a company
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rash — a series

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