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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — of a word
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fine — all right
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fall — the season
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. can — a tin

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