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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. field — for sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. roll — a list
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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