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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — in a race
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pit — a hole
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — for digging
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bark — of a tree

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