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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — in sport
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — army training
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — after costs
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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