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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · pit · dip · wound · sharp · bark · club · cue

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. club — for golf
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — a hint
  13. club — a group
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to sink
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bark — of a tree

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