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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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Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ball — a dance
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — the season

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