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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. squash — the sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. field — a subject
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. field — farmland
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. vault — a safe
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — in a road

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