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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — a company
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — from a university
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — of a king
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of law
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — decided
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — steady
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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