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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — to shout
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — clever
  21. suit — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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