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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — the fish
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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