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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. kick — in football
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — with a leg

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