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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — in golf
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. swing — music
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to click
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fine — high quality
  20. current — happening now
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. swing — to play on

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