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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. court — of law
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. charge — in control
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. court — for sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — on your feet

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