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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. key — in music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. perch — the fish
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — for a lock
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a dance
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — for betting
  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