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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — to be able to
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fork — in a road
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. clip — a video
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stock — shares
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lean — to bend
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mate — a friend
  24. can — a tin

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