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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cue — a signal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — a tin

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