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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fall — the season
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — a group
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — electric
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. club — for golf
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tear — from crying

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