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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — electric
  8. fine — all right
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. current — happening now
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mine — belonging to me

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