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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 124 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. capital — a city
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — boats
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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