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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — thin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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