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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — in music
  7. rule — government
  8. pit — a hole
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a signal

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