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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rule — government
  8. roll — a cake
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. march — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. sharp — clever
  22. roll — a list
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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