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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — a stone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. staff — employees

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