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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — a law
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bark — to shout
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitch — completely
  24. sharp — clever

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