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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — a country
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bound — tied together
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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