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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — in music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — to crush
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mug — to rob
  15. prune — to trim
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bark — to shout
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — a face
  24. bark — of a tree

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