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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of law
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. court — for sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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