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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — a path
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. track — a song
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. sharp — clever

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