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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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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: tear · stick · club · file · bark · fork · pit · jam

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. club — for golf
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tear — to rip

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