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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: roll · mark · clip · mouse · bay · game · sharp · fork

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. game — a match
  4. mark — a grade
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — a list
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mark — to pay attention

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