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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — a hole
  5. club — for dancing
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — to be able to
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — to pay attention

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