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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a great time
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — a subject
  6. net — after costs
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. field — for sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — a dish

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