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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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