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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — a partner
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — in control
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bass — low music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — a group
  23. charge — a price
  24. bass — the instrument

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