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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. land — to come down
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — a country
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — ground
  24. march — music

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