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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. club — a group
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. kid — child
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pit — in a race
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rule — government
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — to rule out

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