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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kick — in football
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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