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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cap — of ice
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — the earth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — a hint
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ground — crushed
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cap — a lid
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — a hat

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