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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rock — music
  7. game — a match
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. game — wild animals
  20. charge — a price
  21. object — a thing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. trunk — of a car

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