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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. clip — a video
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. degree — temperature
  10. suit — clothes
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — a lid
  17. clip — for paper
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cap — of ice
  22. degree — from a university
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — to handle

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