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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bass — low music
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — ground
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — of ice
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cap — a hat
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — a horse colour

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