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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fine — all right
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. drill — army training

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