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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. court — for sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rash — a series
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. court — of a king
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rock — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rash — hasty
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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