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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — for betting

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