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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 120 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — for sport
  3. degree — temperature
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — clothes
  10. charge — electricity
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — a price
  13. suit — in cards
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — from a university

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