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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: object · pit · mate · trunk · temple · bark · kid · jam

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — child
  11. object — to protest
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pit — in a race
  20. object — an aim
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — a tight spot

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