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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. field — farmland
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — a safe
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — a break
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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