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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — to keep track
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — a song
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a signal
  22. shower — rain
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cue — a hint

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