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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — of a river
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — in a race
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bark — to shout
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  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