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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tube — a container
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a hat
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bat — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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