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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — in music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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