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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. track — to keep track
  3. sharp — clever
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rock — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pit — a hole
  12. squash — the sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — to crush
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a path
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. track — a song

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