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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — a skill
  3. roll — a list
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. file — a line of people
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pop — soda
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. roll — a cake
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pop — to visit
  24. season — of the year

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