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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cell — in biology
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. scale — in music
  21. snap — to click
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — a phone

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