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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rule — government
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kick — in football
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hand — help
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. degree — from a university

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