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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. charge — a price
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. shower — rain
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rule — a law

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