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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. file — a tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. firm — steady
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a document
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — size or range
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a committee
  21. firm — decided
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — a line of people

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