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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — a practice
  3. field — a subject
  4. drill — army training
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — to come down
  24. sharp — exactly

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