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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — in control
  4. degree — an amount
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. charge — a price
  9. chair — a leader
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bear — to put up with

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