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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. content — happy
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fine — all right
  14. toast — bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. content — the amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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