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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — in a race
  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