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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kick — in football
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hand — help
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bass — the instrument

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