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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the fish
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — in control
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — low music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — help
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. charge — a price
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — electricity

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