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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. charge — electricity
  4. swing — in golf
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of law
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. degree — from a university
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — for sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — hasty
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. charge — in control
  24. rash — a series

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