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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. mine — for digging
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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