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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. chest — a box
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — to be able to
  19. sharp — clever
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — music

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