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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. roll — a cake
  3. sharp — clever
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — for catching
  9. roll — a list
  10. wind — moving air
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. craft — a skill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wind — moving air
  24. net — after costs

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