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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — exactly
  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