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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 116 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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — of water
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — for golf
  13. current — electric
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. club — for dancing
  21. current — happening now
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — to dunk

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