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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: roll · bank · temple · bark · kid · bat · deal · pit

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. kid — child
  14. bat — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. roll — a list
  23. bat — for baseball
  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