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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: present · stick · march · row · net · sharp · mouse · saw

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. sharp — clever
  11. row — a line
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — in sport
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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