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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mate — a partner
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pit — in a race
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — dry grass
  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