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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — a leader
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. march — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — on your feet
  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