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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spell — letters
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — magic
  13. pit — in a race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. patient — a sick person

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