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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. firm — decided
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. scale — in music
  19. rock — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bark — of a tree

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