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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — a group
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. club — for golf

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