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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — the time now
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. date — the fruit
  16. last — to go on
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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