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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hand — help
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — to handle
  6. toast — bread
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kick — in football
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. kick — with a leg

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