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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — music
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — to visit
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — to be able to

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