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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a dance
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — to confront
  12. club — for dancing
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. club — for golf
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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