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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: field · suit · sharp · bear · bark · cue · fine · lean

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. fine — all right
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. field — a subject
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — clever

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