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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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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: rash · wake · sharp · field · ground · pass · deal · stick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. field — a subject
  11. ground — a position
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — for sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — a series
  20. field — farmland
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — clever

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