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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — clever
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — music
  9. craft — boats
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — the time now
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. present — a gift
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. present — there
  24. game — wild animals

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