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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — a series
  14. sharp — clever
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rash — hasty
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — a kind of play

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