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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. club — for golf
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chip — for betting
  22. club — a group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — a sick person

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