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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: pit · file · degree · can · cell · bank · jam · bark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. file — a document
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. degree — temperature
  15. can — a tin
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cell — in a prison

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