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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — clever
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rest — a break
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. game — a match
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rest — what's left

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