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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fork — in a road
  8. last — final
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — to be able to
  20. firm — a company
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. fork — a garden tool

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