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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. squash — to crush
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — of water
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — to shout
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — wild animals
  21. saw — the tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — a match
  24. suit — clothes

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