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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — in a race
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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