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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. season — of the year
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bark — to shout
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — in sport

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