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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — to play on
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. net — for catching
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. content — the amount

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