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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — in music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. scale — size or range
  14. court — of a king
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. court — for sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. court — of law
  23. foot — a measure
  24. scale — for weighing

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