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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitch — completely
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bass — low music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kick — in football
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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