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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — a line
  4. bark — to shout
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pop — soda
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rule — government
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pop — music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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