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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rock — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — in sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — all right
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chest — a box
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. net — after costs

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