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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fine — all right
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fork — a garden tool

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