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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cell — in biology
  4. shower — to wash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. firm — steady
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. court — of law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for golf
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — rain
  22. club — a group
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — a company

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