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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a dance
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — electric
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ground — a position

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