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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — the underground
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mark — a grade
  18. firm — a company
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — the most important part
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bark — of a tree

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