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

Word bank: bear · toast · kick · stick · pit · fine · bark · dip

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — in a race
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bark — to shout
  22. toast — bread
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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