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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pit — a hole
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pass — a permit

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