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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — to shout
  7. swing — to play on
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. court — of law
  13. swing — in golf
  14. court — for sport
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lean — thin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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