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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. clip — a video
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — to bear
  10. court — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. court — of law
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. court — of a king

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