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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — to go on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spell — a short time
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — magic
  11. bark — to shout
  12. last — final
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rule — government
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rule — a law
  18. last — finally
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. pit — a hole

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