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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. present — the time now
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. present — a gift
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mark — a grade
  13. row — a line
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tube — a container
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — there
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mark — to pay attention

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