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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — a container
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — the fish

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