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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a great time
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — a face
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mug — a cup

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