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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fork — in a road
  4. face — to confront
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. face — to point toward
  17. row — a line
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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