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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. net — for catching
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. squash — to crush

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