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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. suit — to fit
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bound — obliged
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. court — of law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bound — certain
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. key — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — of a king

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