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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: rule · wound · present · chair · lean · toast · bark · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — a law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. toast — bread

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