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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: kid · dip · bark · swing · present · fork · pit · cap

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. dip — to sink
  3. swing — in golf
  4. kid — to tease
  5. present — there
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. swing — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pit — in a race
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kid — child
  17. present — a gift
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cap — a lid

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