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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — in music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — for a lock

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