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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — government
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rule — to rule out

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