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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. season — in sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — a thing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. object — to protest
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — of law
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — of the year
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — a professorship
  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