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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rash — a series

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