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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. season — in sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rule — government
  10. scale — in music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — clever
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. craft — boats
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. season — of the year
  20. spell — letters
  21. rule — a law
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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