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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. track — a path
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pit — in a race
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kick — in football
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. toast — bread
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. track — to keep track

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