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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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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: prune · row · sharp · stick · mug · pit · bark · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — to paddle
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bark — to shout
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pit — in a race

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