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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — farmland
  4. net — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — for catching
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — in music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — clever
  19. field — for sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bore — to tire
  24. field — a subject

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