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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cue — a signal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cue — a hint
  14. capital — money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ground — a position
  19. capital — a city
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — low music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — the fish

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