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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spell — letters
  5. file — a line of people
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. toast — bread
  9. file — a document
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spell — magic
  12. foot — a measure
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. file — a tool
  24. bank — of a river

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