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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — in football
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — for catching
  14. toast — bread
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fork — in a road
  22. net — in sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. jam — in traffic

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