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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pit — in a race
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. present — a gift
  8. object — a thing
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spring — the season
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. present — the time now
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pit — a hole
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. object — to protest
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. branch — a division
  23. spring — of water
  24. present — there

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