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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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 — of a tree
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — of the year
  11. rule — government
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fine — all right
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rule — a law
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  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