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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. court — of law
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mug — a cup
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — a phone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. court — for sport

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