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

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kid — child
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — a friend
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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