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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — electric
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — for a hammer

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