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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pit — in a race
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bound — tied together
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. march — the month
  16. bound — certain
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — the vegetable

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