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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — clever
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of law
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wind — moving air
  17. band — a ring
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. staff — employees

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