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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.

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: bark · present · last · ruler · wave · court · net · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. last — finally
  3. net — for catching
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. last — final
  8. court — of a king
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — there
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. last — to go on
  23. present — a gift
  24. ruler — a monarch

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