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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — for dancing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. squash — the sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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