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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. swing — in golf
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. craft — a skill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. net — after costs
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pass — a permit

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