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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pop — soda
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pop — music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pop — to visit
  24. dip — to sink

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