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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — in control
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — of water
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — electricity
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spring — a coil
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — a container
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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