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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — a match
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — all right
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rock — a stone
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. current — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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