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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ground — a position
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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