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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. last — final
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — music
  9. last — finally
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — a stone
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — to go on
  24. fork — in a road

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