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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — for sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — in music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. key — the most important part
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. sharp — exactly

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