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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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