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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. game — a match
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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