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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — to point toward
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — there
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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