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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pit — a hole
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — a container
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. content — happy
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. board — to get on

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