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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — thin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. court — of law
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. court — for sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bass — the fish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — low music
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — in control
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chip — for betting

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