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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — for dancing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. net — in sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. club — for golf
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. club — a group

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