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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 124 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — a skill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — to breed
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — boats
  14. key — for a lock
  15. court — of law
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — clever
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — in music
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. mate — a friend

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