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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — electricity
  6. game — a match
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. march — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. charge — a price
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — for sculpting

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