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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. net — in sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — help
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — for golf
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — to drill
  17. club — a group
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — after costs
  22. rock — music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fan — a supporter

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