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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — of a king
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rash — hasty
  13. object — a thing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — of law
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. drill — army training
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — for sport

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