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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: racket · swing · object · bark · pit · straw · season · lie

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pit — a hole
  3. object — a thing
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — to play on
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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