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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — completely
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — in sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — a position
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. net — after costs
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — to keep secret

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