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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — to keep track
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — low music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — to paddle
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — a song
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — the fish
  24. sharp — exactly

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