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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — for golf
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitch — completely
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tube — a container
  22. club — a group
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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