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

Word bank: kick · stand · bowl · bat · present · sharp · saw · deal

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. present — the time now
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — a football final

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