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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. kick — in football
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chip — to eat
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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