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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cell — in biology
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — in a road

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