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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — certain
  5. net — for catching
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — a group
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bound — obliged
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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