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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — in a race
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fork — in a road
  24. file — a line of people

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