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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — to shout
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — a place of worship

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