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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cue — a signal
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fine — all right
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — a coil
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — of water
  24. cue — for pool

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