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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. drill — the tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — a permit

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