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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. track — a song
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — a stick
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. sharp — clever
  12. track — a path
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — a trace
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — for light

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