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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cap — of ice
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bark — of a tree

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