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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — to bear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pit — a hole
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bear — the animal
  24. key — in music

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