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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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