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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — the earth
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to click
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. content — the amount
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — a position
  22. content — happy
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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