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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — to come down
  3. net — in sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rash — a series
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — a country
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mouse — the animal

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