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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a dance
  8. court — of law
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — clever
  16. drill — a practice
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. snap — to click
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a round shape

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