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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — the earth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — all right
  10. bark — to shout
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — happening now
  24. sharp — exactly

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