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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a hole
  4. object — a thing
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — an aim
  14. spring — the season
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. shower — rain
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — to pay attention

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