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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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. stand — for spectators
  4. can — a tin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. march — the month
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. can — to be able to
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. march — music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mine — for digging
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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