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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. row — a line
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — army training
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. drill — the tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — for catching
  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