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

Word bank: sharp · bark · degree · straw · pass · stick · rock · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. firm — decided
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bark — to shout
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. firm — steady
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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