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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — completely
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — clever
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — the season

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