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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: fine · game · drill · row · dip · sharp · swing · bark

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — a practice
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. row — a line
  14. game — wild animals
  15. swing — to play on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. drill — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — to shout
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. sharp — with an edge

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