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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — steady
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. court — for sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. court — of law

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