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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — a stick
  24. temple — side of the head

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