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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · game · row · plane · bay · arm · season · bowl

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — a tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. game — a match
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. game — wild animals
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. sharp — clever
  24. season — of the year

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