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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — an illness
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. suit — to fit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — to handle
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pass — a permit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. craft — boats
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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