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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rock — music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — to wash
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — to shout
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — low music

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