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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. object — to protest
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. object — an aim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — child
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pit — a hole

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