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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — after costs
  5. kick — in football
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a word
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — certain
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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