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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bore — to drill
  5. present — the time now
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bark — to shout
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — a path
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — there
  23. pit — a hole
  24. jam — in traffic

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