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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — size or range
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — a weight
  16. scale — in music
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. coach — a trainer

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