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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — to get on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pit — in a race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pit — a hole
  19. court — of law
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of a king
  24. stem — a stem cell

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