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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — all right
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — there
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. root — of a word
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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