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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. toast — bread
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. dip — to sink

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