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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. board — a committee
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ball — a dance
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. content — happy
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — the amount
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kid — to tease

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