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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — a football final
  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