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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. present — a gift
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. club — for golf
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — to grow
  13. present — there
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. present — the time now
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mate — a friend

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