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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kick — in football
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fine — all right
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. present — the time now
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. present — there
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a music group
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — a gift

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