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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — clever
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — clothes
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. present — the time now
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. shower — to wash
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — there
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. racket — for tennis

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