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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — bread
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — decided
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. field — for sport
  24. ruler — a monarch

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