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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bark — to shout
  3. firm — a company
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. firm — decided
  7. object — an aim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. firm — steady
  10. object — to protest
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — a measure
  14. game — a match
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — a thing
  19. rest — a break
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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