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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — of law
  13. race — humankind
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — a contest
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — to sink
  21. race — the arms race
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fan — a supporter

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