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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — a position
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — a box
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bark — of a tree

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