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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — certain
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — after costs
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pit — in a race
  12. net — in sport
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — in cards
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — a grade
  24. net — for catching

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