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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — a law
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pop — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — government
  20. chair — a leader
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. club — a group
  24. chair — a professorship

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