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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pop — music
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a grade
  9. march — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — in control
  13. pop — soda
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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