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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kick — in football
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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