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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — in sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. shower — rain
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wake — a trail
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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