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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ground — a position
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. drill — army training
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — an aircraft

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