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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: bowl · rule · trunk · rest · kick · pit · bark · toast

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a hole
  9. toast — bread
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rule — a law
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. trunk — of a car

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