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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pit — in a race
  10. charge — a price
  11. bound — tied together
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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