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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. game — a match
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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