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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — a signal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cue — a hint
  9. face — to confront
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. track — to keep track
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — part of the head

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