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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: track · toast · bark · face · pit · ground · bore · fan

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. toast — bread
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — a path
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to confront
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — a song

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