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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · ground · jam · bowl · clip · pit · suit · rash

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — in cards
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. clip — a video
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bark — to shout
  23. suit — to fit
  24. clip — for paper

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