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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — a gift
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — there
  14. pop — to visit
  15. present — the time now
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. face — part of the head
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — soda
  22. club — a group
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. face — to confront

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