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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. club — a group
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mine — for digging
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. sharp — clever
  19. season — of the year
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — in sport

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