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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bass — the fish
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. bass — low music
  6. current — happening now
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — of water
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — a contest
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pit — in a race

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