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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. scale — size or range
  7. club — a group
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. club — for golf
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. court — of law
  15. scale — in music
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — of a river
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. court — of a king
  24. bank — for money

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