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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 124 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wax — to grow
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bound — obliged

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