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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. charge — in control
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — army training

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