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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — to shout
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. shower — rain
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — for dancing

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