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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — a company
  8. mate — to breed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rule — government
  16. firm — decided
  17. scale — in music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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