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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — a measure
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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