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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — of a king
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a dance
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a round shape

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