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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: mark · bowl · deal · fan · sharp · present · pitcher · cell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — a gift
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. present — the time now
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — there
  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