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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. sharp — clever
  12. court — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. object — to protest
  16. court — of a king
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. object — a thing
  21. staff — a stick
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — employees
  24. shower — rain

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