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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ground — a position
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rule — government
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. rule — a law
  23. pop — music
  24. ground — crushed

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