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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a document
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. content — happy
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. file — a tool
  24. content — the amount

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