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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rock — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — in golf
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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