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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. net — after costs
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — there
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. track — a song
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. present — a gift
  14. stand — to bear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a document
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — the time now

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