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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: mug · mate · pit · stick · toast · bat · hide · bark

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a friend

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