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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — low music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. object — to protest
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a hint
  11. object — an aim
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — for pool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — a city
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — money
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cue — a signal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. sharp — clever

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