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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · bore · current · pit · degree · fine · stand · lie

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. degree — from a university
  11. current — happening now
  12. bore — to drill
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pit — in a race
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stand — to bear

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