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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. current — of water

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