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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — the earth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ground — a position
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — for money
  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