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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. march — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. court — of law
  8. march — the month
  9. court — for sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ground — a position
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of a king
  15. ground — crushed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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