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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pop — to visit
  3. court — of a king
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. court — of law
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — a price
  12. pop — soda
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pop — music
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — the cause
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — for sport
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — of a word

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