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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pop — soda
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. cue — for pool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cue — a signal

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