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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 · saw · pop · stick · rash · squash · ground · pit

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — soda
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ground — a position
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — on the skin

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