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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — high quality
  4. file — a document
  5. cap — a hat
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — all right
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. file — a tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. file — a line of people
  24. vault — a safe

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