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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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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: foot · march · bark · deal · saw · staff · pit · row

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. march — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. foot — a measure
  18. staff — employees
  19. row — a line
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — a stick
  24. saw — the tool

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