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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a cup
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pop — music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cap — a hat
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — soda
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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