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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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468
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. row — a line
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — low music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of law
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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