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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — in a race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ground — a position
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a signal
  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