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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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. swing — to play on
  2. present — the time now
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. present — there
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bark — to shout
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. present — a gift
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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