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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. game — wild animals
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — for golf
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. root — the cause
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wake — a trail
  16. game — a match
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — of a word
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — for dancing

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