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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — electricity
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. swing — to play on
  14. charge — in control
  15. court — of a king
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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