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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. drill — a practice
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hide — animal skin

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