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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — clever
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — the tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — ground
  11. pop — music
  12. roll — a list
  13. land — a country
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pop — to visit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — army training
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. land — to come down
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rash — hasty

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