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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. net — after costs
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — to grow
  13. net — in sport
  14. scale — in music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. net — for catching
  18. toast — bread
  19. scale — size or range
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. charge — in control
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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