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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — clever
  5. land — ground
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. land — to come down
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — in control
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. craft — a skill
  21. land — a country
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — of a plant

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