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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — clever
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chair — a professorship

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