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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. drill — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bat — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — of the year
  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