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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — all right
  22. pit — in a race
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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