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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cue — for pool
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — a hint

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