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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — of law
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spell — a short time
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. court — of a king
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spell — magic
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pound — a weight

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