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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. root — of a word
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bass — low music
  8. charge — a price
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. game — a match
  23. mate — a friend
  24. game — wild animals

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