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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. swing — music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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