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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cue — a hint
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. race — a contest
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bark — of a tree

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