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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pit — in a race
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tube — a container
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — the underground
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — of a river
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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