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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. last — to go on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pop — music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — soda
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. last — finally
  16. club — for dancing
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. last — final
  20. branch — a division
  21. club — a group
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — to visit

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