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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fork — in a road
  3. present — there
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — the time now
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hand — help
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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