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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. spell — magic
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — of ice
  6. spell — letters
  7. mark — a grade
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — a committee
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — a trace
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — a short time
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — a law
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. racket — a loud noise

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