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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bark — to shout
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chip — for betting
  5. object — an aim
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mark — a grade
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bat — the animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — clever
  24. racket — for tennis

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