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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — in sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — after costs
  8. file — a line of people
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. file — a document
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — to shout

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