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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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