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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. kick — in football
  4. pop — music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. court — for sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pop — soda
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pop — to visit
  23. court — of law
  24. pound — for dogs

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