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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pound — a weight
  5. row — to paddle
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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