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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. last — finally
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rule — a law
  8. last — to go on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rule — government
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. last — final

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