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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. date — the fruit
  12. march — the month
  13. current — electric
  14. march — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — the month
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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