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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — a group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. pass — a permit
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. game — wild animals
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. arm — part of the body

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