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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. sharp — clever
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cue — a signal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — for pool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — a permit
  18. scale — size or range
  19. degree — an amount
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — from a university
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — to shout

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