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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. scale — size or range
  3. club — for dancing
  4. capital — a city
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — for pool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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