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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rule — government
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. present — there
  8. rule — a law
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pass — a permit
  16. present — a gift
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a great time
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — crushed

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