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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. present — a gift
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. present — the time now
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — of the year
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — there
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — to come from
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. season — in sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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