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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pit — in a race
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — a hole
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chair — a leader
  20. squash — the sport
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — clever
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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