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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. sharp — clever
  13. key — in music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. key — the most important part
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — exactly

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