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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — certain
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — obliged
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fine — all right

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