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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. present — a gift
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — the time now
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ball — a great time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — to visit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — exactly

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