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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fine — all right
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cue — for pool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to click
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — exactly

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