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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. mark — a grade
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — certain
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — in a race
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cue — a hint
  16. object — to protest
  17. pit — a hole
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — for pool

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