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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — a contest
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — humankind
  24. jam — a tight spot

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