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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — in music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — clever
  20. charge — in control
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mate — a friend

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