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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rule — government
  4. land — ground
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — a country
  8. spring — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — a law

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