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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — to keep track
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mine — for digging
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — the amount
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. track — a song
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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