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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fine — all right
  3. sharp — clever
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. season — of the year
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — high quality
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pit — in a race
  16. current — happening now
  17. field — for sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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