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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. court — of law
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — to come from
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. court — of a king
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fine — a penalty

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