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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pit — a hole
  11. field — a subject
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — in control
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. arm — part of the body

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