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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. cue — for pool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — decided
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — of water
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — electric
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mine — for digging

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