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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. swing — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — a trail
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — to handle
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — to play on
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cell — in biology

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