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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bark · spell · bay · drill · current · sharp · mate

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. drill — army training
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spell — a short time
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — the amount

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