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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — happening now
  9. snap — to click
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — hasty
  14. field — a subject
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. current — of water
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — a series

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