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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. sharp — clever
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — tied together
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. march — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. file — a line of people
  14. march — the month
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — to get on
  19. file — a document
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — to shout

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