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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — a hole
  12. squash — the sport
  13. club — a group
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mine — for digging
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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