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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stand — to bear
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. present — there
  24. stand — for spectators

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