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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — crushed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — for betting

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