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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — a loud noise

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