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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. current — electric
  7. spell — magic
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — for sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. court — of a king
  24. sharp — with an edge

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