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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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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: sharp · lean · stick · degree · bowl · wind · pitcher · fork

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — an amount
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — thin
  24. bowl — a dish

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