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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — decided
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rest — a break
  21. spring — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fork — to eat with

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