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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — of water
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — of a king
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — in a road
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — on your feet
  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