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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mine — for digging
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. object — a thing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. object — an aim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — to protest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — clever

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