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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — a song
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fine — all right
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of law
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fine — high quality
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — a path
  20. court — for sport
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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