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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — in a race
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — an aim
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fall — the season
  13. pit — a hole
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stock — goods
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — to protest

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