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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rock — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — a thing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. degree — an amount

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