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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. firm — a company
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hand — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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