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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pit — a hole
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — happy
  9. root — of a word
  10. content — the amount
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. arm — part of the body

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