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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. club — for golf
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — the most important part
  24. jam — a tight spot

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