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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. roll — a list
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. net — in sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. track — a path
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. last — final
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. track — a song
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. last — finally
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. net — after costs
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bark — to shout
  23. last — to go on
  24. net — for catching

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