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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — happening now
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ground — the earth
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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