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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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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: sharp · squash · present · key · saw · fine · pass · bark

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. present — there
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — a gift
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — the time now
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bark — to shout

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