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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a music group
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — a measure
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pound — for dogs

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