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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ball — a great time
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — goods
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fine — all right
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stock — shares
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — a thing
  24. sharp — clever

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