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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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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: kick · coach · wound · stand · pit · firm · bark · chip

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. firm — steady
  7. bark — to shout
  8. kick — in football
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — to bear
  24. firm — decided

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