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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. scale — in music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — in a race
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bark — to shout
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — for catching

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