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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 116 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: mug · pitcher · fine · sharp · pit · bay · snap · tear

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — a face
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. snap — to click
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — with an edge

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