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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. foot — a measure
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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