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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — the sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bark — to shout

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