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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitch — completely
  3. shower — rain
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bowl — to roll

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