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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. field — a subject
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a dance
  14. field — for sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — for spectators

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