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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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 — with an edge
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — for sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of a king
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — the time now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. present — there
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — goods
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — a gift
  23. court — of law
  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