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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cap — a lid
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — clever

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