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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. court — of a king
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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