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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — a permit
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. content — the amount
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — happy

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