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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — to play on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ball — a great time
  10. swing — music
  11. row — a line
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — goods
  18. row — to paddle
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — to put up with

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