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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · bowl · pit · temple · dip · fine · bark · can

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — all right
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — to shout
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ground — crushed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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