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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — the season
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wound — an injury

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