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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 116 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: race · bound · pit · bark · object · suit · bear · prune

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. bound — tied together
  3. suit — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — certain
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — the fruit
  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